A steering gear assembly converts turning motions applied to the steering wheel through the steering column to transverse lateral movement of a rack gear. The steering gear assembly may include a rack and a pinion gear that cooperate to turn the front wheels of a vehicle to steer the vehicle. The steering gear assembly is subject to shocks and application of loads from the front tires and wheels. Impacts may cause the rack and pinion gear to disengage in extreme conditions if they are not held in place. A yoke assembly may be provided to hold the rack and pinion gear together.
The yoke assembly contacts the rack gear at a diametrically opposed location relative to the pinion gear. Normally, line contact is provided between the yoke and the rack gear that is less than optimal for friction and wear. A large diameter opening in the steering gear housing must be provided to permit the yoke to be assembled to the housing. Access to the yoke is required to adjust or assemble the yoke to the housing. The large diameter of the yoke and the size of the opening in the housing for the yoke results in difficulty in conveniently locating the assembly to fit in the front end of the vehicle.
The apparatus and methods disclosed in the description of the illustrated embodiment and as summarized below address the above problems and other problems that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that relate to the subject matter of this disclosure.